9 tips for Mobile BI success
Full article
http://www.yellowfinbi.com/YFCommunityNews-Mobile-Business-Intelligen...
Brief
The results of the IT Executive Outlook survey indicate that there
remains a significant level of doubt, or even scepticism, surrounding
the implementation and adoption of mobile information sharing
strategies and technologies within the enterprise. In response, we’ve
compiled nine tips for success for those considering Mobile BI:
[1] Get onboard or get left behind:
Respected industry expert, Howard Dresner, stated in the wake of his
most recent Mobile Business Intelligence Market Study that
advancements in technology, shifts in information consumption and the
rapid up-take of mobile data sharing strategies within many
organizations, have led him to conclude that Mobile BI is the new
platform for BI itself.
[2] Choose a vendor that offers browser-based, native MA:
With the continued adoption of HTML 5 to support device-based caching,
the debate between delivering reporting and analytics remotely via a
Web-browser or device-specific application will continue. Select a BI
application that offers both to give you flexibility. Whatever the
choice (and it must be a unified one), ensure that the needs of the
information consumer (rather than the report writer) dictates your
chosen approach.
[3] Secure your data assets:
The prevalence of mobile computing and information sharing at the
enterprise level brings with it a plethora of new security risks.
Ensure your data is secure at the application and device level.
Application: Your BI application and its accompanying mobile platform
should easily integrate with existing security protocols to support
authorization and authentication. It should also be 100 percent Web-
based to ensure no data is stored on the actual device.
Device: A password protection system on the device should guard
against unauthorized access to sensitive business data. Additionally,
an automatic lockout system should log users out from a dashboard or
report after a significant period of inactivity.
Broadcast security: Establish and ensure a clear method and system for
segmenting mobile user groups based on their specific job function and
information needs.
[4] Interactivity on-the-go:
Give users the ability to consume, analyze and interact with business
data on their mobile devices the same as they would from their PC.
Select a Mobile BI platform that offers a range of native applications
for major operating systems to allow users to filter results and
reports, drill-down and through data, as well as comment on and share
reports to make critical business decisions in real-time.
[5] Device independent:
Your chosen MA should support total device independence to ensure
higher rates of productivity and faster ROI. Users should be able to
log into their existing BI account and gain instant access to their
report content remotely, without the need to re-create content for the
mobile platform, or repackage it for mobile distribution.
[6] Take advantage of native mobile device features:
Many popular tablets and smartphones (including the iPhone, iPad and
Android family) have amazing intuitive functionality such as multi-
touch interfaces and generous screen sizes. Select a mobile platform
with native applications that support this highly beneficial
functionality.
[7] Carefully consider who actually needs Mobile BI:
Not everybody in an organization needs Mobile BI. Carefully establish
specific user groups based on their likely need for reporting and
analytics on-the-go. Many departments or job functions will not need
to address problems in real-time or are almost entirely desk-bound –
the point of enabling such user groups with Mobile BI is moot.
[8] Define which information will be useful remotely:
There will be limited or no benefit in consuming certain data types
remotely. Establish the specific benefits of being able to consume
specific types of information from mobile devices. Carefully identify
which alerts, reports and dashboards are capable of driving
performance or mitigating risk by being received on mobile devices.
[9] Establish ROI:
Outline the expected business benefits of Mobile BI pre-rollout
(enhanced productivity of user groups, etc) and match them with both
initial and ongoing costs (mobile devices, software, hardware,
maintenance, etc).
